What chemistry is involved in fireworks? How are
firework colors produced? How are heat and light
used/created in fireworks?

Answer 1:

Fireworks involve many different concepts from
chemistry. First the firework is rocketed into
the sky using gunpowder. The gunpowder is made
from a mixture of a fuel and an oxidizer. Fuels
are molecules which contain a lot of energy in
their chemical bonds, and oxidizers are molecules
which help break those bonds to release the
energy. You just need to provide a little
activation energy (a spark or flame) and the
chemical reaction will start.

When the
firework gets into the sky, it explodes. The
firework is filledwith small capsules called
"Pyrotechnic Stars". These are the balls of
light
you see flying out of the firework when it
explodes. These also contain fuel and an
oxidizer, along with a metal powder. When the
chemical reaction between the oxidizer and the
fuel occurs, the energy from the fuel is released
as heat and pressure (which causes the firework
to
fly apart).

The "Pyrotechnic Stars" also
contain a metal powder. When you put metals in
flames they change the color of the flame! For
example, if you put copper powder in a flame it
turns the flame blue-green. There are all sorts
of different metals which can make the different
colors you see in the fireworks.

On the
molecular level, the reason for this is that the
electrons in the metal atom become "excited,"
meaning they have more energy than normal.They
want to get rid of this energy somehow, so they
get rid of it by shooting out light. Some metals
get excited more easily than others, so they
shoot
out light of different colors. For example,
lithium is a metal which doesn't let its
electrons
get very excited so it shoots out red light,
which
carries less energy. But copper lets its
electrons
go crazy so it shoots out blue light, which has a
lot of energy. Hope that answers your question!